Who is Jiyu?

~A Scholarly Mage & Paladin~

Invoking our 2nd rule of “You are a character” I created my first online persona as “Freebrth” of the Draconis Combine in Mechwarrior long ago. It was my first 1990’s email and being a Japanese themed lore (space samurai of MW) Free as my friends called me, turned into Jiyu along the way. Jiyu means “to be free” in Japanese. Mononoke on the other hand was my usual MMO healer name, it is a spirit reference, and not a Ghibli one – My two names slowly coalesced into my one online persona. – I rarely break from character, and even wear a pinch of it irl being an old retired miqo’te mage that was both a sergeant and an administrator / director along the way in my reals, jobs of servitude both – Alas, i introduce to you, my better side:

~ Jiyu Mononoke is the architect and founder of the Rising Sun Shogunate. Game life started with D&D and Mechwarrior, both with dice and figurines in the 80’s, then progressed to online gaming in the 90’s with dial-up modems playing MW2 helping run online Mech clans.

~ The experience of early guild life taught lessons of both sorrow and joy, of what might be done better, and a few mistakes that are commonly hard for a guild master to not make. A dabble in Ultima Online, and later some time in EverQuest, the search for an MMO to invest in landed on WoW shortly after it’s release late 2004. After being a member of a guild that imploded, Jiyu set out to found a guild that would become a well run and well respected name on the Proudmoore server during it’s early years. In 2008 under Shogun Mononoke, the guild grew well, and the stories are many, grand, and worth regale… alas..

~ Times being what they are, WoW and the guild were slowing down, and many had parted ways after a revolutionary style upheaval. Both hurt and proud to watch a notable team leave to start their own hardcore raiding guild, Mononoke handed the crown of the WoW-Shogunate to a few trusted and beloved members who took great care of it for years. In 2018, Mononoke founded another Shogunate in Final Fantasy XIV on the coveted Japanese English speaking Server of Tonberry. Originally playing there to practice language, it became a small power house of a guild (Free Company) that through crafting and adventures briefly made it into the top ten guilds of the server. It was a testament of what great members can achieve together. A huge breath later and It was an era of socializing and role play, doing Maid-Cafe and luncheon RP Events, alas – winds of change, and the reals demanded attention, and Mononoke handed the crown of Tonberry to a beloved member who to this day has been an amazing Shogun and carries our flag well. A labor of love,

~ Eventually being retired in the realz, part by choice, part not – Mononoke once again took to exploring new realms where once a side quest for a deeper online experience had uncovered the realm of Second Life, and later VRChat where many years were spent in various aspect of that realm, the fascination with and eventual acquisition of VR equipment, the dive into realms would become next level for years. Learning to craft an avatar gave way to once again crafting for the RSS and several worlds were created, and more planned.

~ In the end, the crown of WoW would be returned to the little Empress at request of their leadership, and to task she has taken it. Presiding over Proudmoore [WoW] once more, and tending the needs of Tonberry [FFxiv] at request, Mononoke works diligently to serve the people of the tiny empire, to provide welcoming heart and home to goodly and fine travelers seeking both the spoils of victory, but also casual fun company of fellow guild mates. Let’s drink some Rumsey Rum – and perhaps a puff of Eorzean catnip favored by the Miqo’te, a hilarious chat, we’ll dance till midnight – and then watch the sun rise.